Charleston Car Accident Lawyer
You were hurt, it wasn’t your fault, and the adjuster has probably already called. Don’t sign anything until you know what your case is worth.
Brent Heist is a Charleston car accident lawyer who fights for working families across the Lowcountry — and you pay nothing unless we win.
The Adjuster Is Not on Your Side
Within a day or two of a Charleston car wreck, your phone rings. They’re friendly, sympathetic, and eager to get this wrapped up for you. Paying you less is how that company makes money — that’s not a conspiracy, it’s their business model. Here’s what they say, and what it means.
You’re generally not required to give one. They’re listening for a single sentence — “I’m fine,” “I didn’t see them,” “maybe I was going a little fast.”
Fast money is cheap money. The offer arrives early on purpose — while you still think you’re fine and before anyone knows what the injury really costs.
South Carolina cuts your recovery by your share of the blame. Every question about your phone, your speed, your attention is aimed at that number — see how the maths works.
Once you sign, it’s over
A settlement release closes your claim permanently. If the pain doesn’t go away, if you need surgery next year, if you can’t go back to the job you had — that’s your bill now, not theirs.
If you’re still treating, nobody knows what your case is worth yet — including them. Plenty of cases should settle. Just never settle before you know the number.
Charleston Car Accident Cases We Take
If you were hurt in a crash somewhere in the Lowcountry and someone else caused it, we want to hear about it. These are the cases we see most.
Rear-End Collisions
The most common crash on Ashley Phosphate and I-26. Liability often looks obvious — which is exactly when insurers fight hardest on the value of your injuries instead.
Intersection & Left-Turn
Two drivers, two stories, and a fight over who had the light. These turn on evidence: cameras, witnesses, and the physics of the impact.
Drunk Driving Crashes
A criminal charge against the other driver doesn’t pay your medical bills. That’s a separate civil claim, and it needs to be brought properly.
Hit & Run
Even when the driver is never found, your own uninsured motorist coverage may still pay. Most people don’t know that.
Uninsured & Underinsured
South Carolina requires UM coverage on every policy. When the at-fault driver has nothing, or not enough, we look for every policy that applies.
Serious & Catastrophic
Spine surgery, broken bones, head injuries, and crashes that change what you can do for a living. These are the cases where the first offer is furthest from fair.
Hit by a commercial truck, on a motorcycle, or in an Uber or Lyft? Those cases work differently — see truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and Uber & Lyft accidents.
Two Rules That Decide Your Case
Two rules quietly shape almost every car accident claim in this state — the deadline to file, and how fault is split. Both can cost you money you don’t know you’re losing.
You Have Three Years — Usually
In most South Carolina car accident cases, you have three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit (S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530). Miss that deadline and your claim is gone permanently, no matter how badly you were hurt or how clearly it was the other driver’s fault.
Not every case gets three years. Claims against a government entity run under the SC Tort Claims Act — shorter deadlines and notice requirements that can expire in months. Don’t work out your deadline from a web page.
Every Percent of Blame Costs You
South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence. You recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault — but your recovery drops by your share. At 51%, you recover nothing.
On a $100,000 case, if the insurer pins 20% on you, you get $80,000 — a $20,000 swing from one argument. That’s why the adjuster keeps asking whether you looked, or were on your phone. Every percent they pin on you is money out of your pocket.
What Your Claim Is Actually Worth
A car accident claim is not just your medical bills. Under South Carolina law you may be able to recover:
Medical Expenses
Ambulance, emergency room, imaging, surgery, physical therapy — and the care you will still need in the future.
Lost Wages
The work you missed while you were hurt.
Lost Earning Capacity
If you can’t go back to the job you had — or can’t do it the way you used to.
Pain & Suffering
What the injury actually did to your life.
Property Damage
Your vehicle — and what was in it.
Loss of Consortium
The effect on your marriage and your family.
The first offer almost never accounts for the last four. It is built from the bills you have already run up — not from what the injury will cost you over the next ten years. That gap is the reason to talk to a lawyer before you sign.
You Only Get One Shot at This
A settlement release closes your case permanently. There is no going back for more if the pain doesn’t stop, if the surgeon says you need another operation, or if you can’t do the job you did before.
If you’re still treating, nobody knows what your case is worth yet — including them. Plenty of cases should settle. Just never settle before you know the number.
Case Results: What Happens When You Don’t Blink
The insurance company’s top offer in mediation was just $250,000. We didn’t take it — we took it to trial, and the jury returned a $1.75 million verdict: seven times their best offer.
(Spine Surgery)
Crash
Run
Results vary by case and depend on specific facts and circumstances. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Figures shown are gross recoveries before attorney’s fees, case costs, and medical liens.
How Your Car Accident Claim Works
No confusing legal runaround. Here is exactly what happens the moment you reach out.
You Hear Back in 10 Minutes
Fill out the form and we call you back in about 10 minutes — not tomorrow, not next week. Too hurt to come in? We’ll come to you, at home or at the hospital. No pressure, no cost.
We Investigate & Fight
We handle the insurance companies, gather the evidence, find every policy that applies, and build your case. You focus on healing.
You Get Paid
We pursue full compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and pain. You pay no attorney’s fee unless we win — it comes out of the recovery, never your pocket.
Brent Heist · Attorney & Founder
You Won’t Be Handed to a Case Number
I started Heist Law to do things differently. I believe in straight talk, hard work, and treating people the right way.
I’ve dedicated my practice to standing up for injured people across South Carolina against insurance companies that try to pay them less than they deserve. When you hire me, you’re not just a case number. You’re a neighbor, and I’ll fight for you like one.
Charleston Car Accident Lawyer: Common Questions
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in SC?
What if I was partly at fault?
Should I give a recorded statement?
What does a car accident lawyer cost?
They already offered me money. Should I take it?
What if the other driver had no insurance?
What Our Clients Say About Brent
“After our car accident he worked very hard and even got us approved for a loan to get a car almost immediately. By our side the whole time.”
“Awesome to work with. Addressed all my issues quickly, got me the medical help I needed, and were diligent with the insurance companies to ensure I got the most compensation.”
“Hired an attorney so I didn’t have to deal with insurance companies. Very responsive and professional. Pleasantly surprised by the exceptional results.”
Real reviews from Google, reflecting the experience of individual clients. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; every case is different and depends on its own facts.
Read This Before You Talk to the Adjuster
Four short guides on the things that decide most Charleston injury claims. No sign-up, no email required.